Ataturk Cultural Center

The story

Hayati Tabanlıoğlu's original building opened in April 1969 along the eastern edge of Taksim Square and became a fixture of the city's cultural life. Closed for renovation in 2008, it was demolished in 2018 and replaced by a larger complex from his son Murat Tabanlıoğlu, which opened on 29 October 2021. A transparent glass front, engineered by Werner Sobek, nods to the old facade and opens the building onto the square. Inside, the opera hall is a giant sphere clad in 15,000 ceramic pieces, its curved interior a contrast to the straight lines outside. Istanbul State Opera and Ballet and the State Symphony Orchestra perform here, alongside an 802-seat theatre, the Yeşilçam cinema with its independent programme, a children's art centre, a library on music, art and design, a Paşabahçe glass shop and several cafés.